Building Class Team Cohesion: The Foundation of Effective TA Management
Leading teaching assistants in a special school requires more than just managing workloads and timetables. One of the key skills required by an SEN teacher is the ability to create a unified team that consistently delivers outstanding support for complex learners. This is often a question Interview panels will ask. The SEN teacher role is really a leadership role, it is unlikely that many teachers have any training in leading a team.
Many candidates focus solely on systems and schedules, missing the crucial element of team dynamics. This article reveals practical strategies for building genuine collaboration and mutual support among your TA team that you can use to frame the answer to the interview question.
Let’s explore how to demonstrate, in an interview, your ability to develop a cohesive staff team that enhances pupil progress through shared expertise and collective problem-solving.
How To Answer “How Do You Build a Class Team of TA’s?” Interview Question Answers
Structured Collaboration Time
- Designate 30 minutes weekly for ‘Skills Share’ sessions
- Rotate session leadership amongst TAs based on expertise
- Create a termly schedule covering areas like:
- Sensory regulation techniques
- Behaviour de-escalation strategies
- Alternative communication methods
- Therapeutic interventions
Example:
“Our Thursday morning ‘Skills Share’ has become invaluable. Last term, a TA with previous occupational therapy experience led sessions on positioning and handling, significantly improving our practice with physically impaired pupils.”
Cross-Class Partnerships
- Pair experienced and newer TAs
- Establish fortnightly peer observation slots
- Create buddy systems for specific interventions
- Enable job shadowing opportunities
Practical Implementation:
“We introduced ‘Learning Partners’ – pairing TAs across different key stages. This cross-pollination of ideas led to innovative adaptations of secondary strategies in primary classes.”
Collective Problem-Solving
- Monthly solution circles
- Case study discussions
- Group strategy planning
- Shared resource development
Real Example:
“Our ‘Strategy Lab’ sessions allow TAs to present challenging scenarios and receive collective input. This reduced individual stress and generated creative solutions, like our visual transition cards now used school-wide.”
Recognition Systems
- Weekly ‘Spotlight’ celebrations
- Term-end achievement awards
- Public acknowledgement of specialisms
- Team success wall displays
Implementation:
“The ‘Excellence Board’ in our staff room highlights weekly TA achievements. Recently, we celebrated a TA’s development of symbol-supported cooking instructions, now adopted across all life skills sessions.”
Social and Professional Connection
- Termly team building activities
- Interest-based working groups
- Shared professional learning networks
- Cross-department projects
Practical Application:
“We established ‘Innovation Teams’ where TAs from different departments collaborate on termly projects. One team created a sensory garden, building relationships while developing a valuable school resource.”
Digital Collaboration Tools
- Shared online resource banks
- WhatsApp professional groups (please no WhatsApp class groups!)
- Digital celebration boards
- Team planning platforms
Example:
“Our secure Teams channel allows TAs to share resources and celebrate successes daily. This has maintained team spirit even when working across different bubbles or sites.”
Impact Measures For Your Class Team
Track cohesion through:
- Staff retention rates
- Attendance patterns
- Engagement in optional CPD
- Cross-departmental collaboration
- Pupil progress consistency
Evidence of Success:
“After implementing these cohesion strategies, our TA retention increased to 92%, and pupil progress data showed more consistent support across different adults working with the same child.”
Leadership Considerations in TA Teams
Remember to:
- Balance social and professional relationships
- Maintain clear boundaries
- Ensure equity in opportunities
- Monitor informal leadership dynamics
- Address conflicts promptly
Your interview response should emphasise how team cohesion directly benefits pupils through:
- Consistent approaches
- Shared expertise
- Collaborative problem-solving
- Enhanced communication
- Improved staff wellbeing